The executives who ran the Dominican Institute of Telecommunications (Indotel) between the years 2009 to 2014 committed irregularities in the payment of contracts without records and above what is established by law, according to a audit published this Tuesday by Chamber of Accounts of the Dominican Republic.
For the auditthe Chamber of Accounts selected the projects ITLA Student Residencethe Telecommunications Cultural Center, Recreational Club for Employees and the excavation of the headquarters buildingin which 29 contracts were made for RD$592,433,998, equivalent to 98% of the total amount contracted.
Among the anomalies pointed out by the Chamber of Accounts there are the presumed payments of advances to contracts above what is established by law. Specifically, the Chamber of Accounts indicates that between 2009 and 2010, the indotel made payments that exceed 20% of the contract amount. The advance money paid was higher than what was established by the Law 340-06 on Purchases and Contracts and amounts to RD$57,946,505.
in the construction of Indotel Recreational and Cultural Club Works for RD$59,963,156 were awarded, without the application of the Procurement and Hiring Law, he adds.
Likewise, the Chamber of Accounts indicates that in the audited period, agreements without records were reached before the Comptroller General of the Republic for a value of RD$1,506,211,614. Similarly, works were awarded without being state providers for an amount of RD$1,568,781,978.
The auditors cite that the 29 works contracted do not show the presentation by the contractors of the guarantees of faithful compliance and guarantees of progress and hidden defects, four works contracts with addenda that exceed 25% of the amount of the main contract, identifying a difference between the subscribed amount and the corresponding amount, amounting to RD$2,837,057.
Also, alleged weaknesses were detected in the registration of accounts payable, balance pending payment not registered as a liability, weaknesses in the application of 1% corresponding to the Construction Workers Pension and Retirement Fund, Pension and Retirement Fund of Construction Workers not included in the budgets, Construction Workers Pension and Retirement Fund included in the budgets and not withheld for an amount of RD$2,834,327, budgeted and executed works with items that present volumes pending execution by RD$16,567,180.
Also, Transfers of Industrialized Goods and Services (ITBIS) stopped withholding for an amount of RD$9,496,142; payments in favor of contractors, which present amounts for supervision amounting to RD$2,285,827, without this amount being retained, since they only received payments for the execution work and not for supervision.
The report was completed on December 9, 2022 and published on Tuesday the 13th of the same month.
Who were presidents of Indotel in this period?
The audit It encompasses various efforts: in 2009, the president of the body was José Rafael Vargas. In 2010 there was David Pérez Taveras. In 2012 he chaired the indotel Carlos Amarante Baret, who was there until 2013, when he was replaced by Gedeón Santos.
